2 Thessalonians - Week 2 - Day 3

READ 

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 

3 Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. 4 He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. 

Some were teaching that the Thessalonian believers were already in the first part of the Day of the Lord—the Tribulation. Paul said, “Don’t be fooled by what they say.” Then he went on to tell what must occur before one could say the Day of the Lord had begun.  Before this, there will be a rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness will be revealed. When he comes he will eventually desecrate the temple by seating himself in it and claiming to be God.  

REFLECT 

Imagine what the believers in Thessalonica were thinking as they read Paul’s letter. They would realize their persecution was not the persecution that would occur during the Day of the Lord, so they had not really missed the rapture.  

RESPOND 

Read about the Antichrist desecrating the temple in Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15-22. The prefix “Anti” in the word “Antichrist” means not only one who is “against” Christ but also one who comes “instead of” Christ. The Antichrist wants to be worshiped like Christ so he will eventually seat himself in the temple to be worshiped.